How to Create a Killer Sales Message

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I write a lot about sales messages because they’re the foundation of business success. An exceptional sales message intrigues investors, attracts talent and wins customers. An average sales message, not so much.

This post contains my best resources for writing sales messages that are crisp, simple and to the point. These resources are largely based upon what I’ve learned by critiquing and rewriting sales messages in my free weekly newsletter.

While that seems simple enough, most sales messages answer the first question with list of features and functions, like so:

Our X33-a framistatigram has dual vebblefetzers that are GAAP-compatible with standard 1772.1b potrezeebies.

Most sales messages then answer the second question with a string unsubstantiated claims, like so:

The X33-a is the highest-quality, best-in-class, 3rd generation with unparalleled service!

Why do companies create sales messages that are either confusing or trite (or both)? It’s simple: they think that their sales message should be about them (the sellers) and their product. Not so!

Sales Messages Are About the Customer (Not You)

Sales messages are always about the customer. To make this point, here’s a instructional video I made earlier this year for my friend Gerhard Gschwandtner, CEO of Selling Power. (Please don’t laugh too hard at my old publicity photo.)

In the video, I discuss how to avoid the “inside looking out” perspective that creates lousy sales messages and into the “outside looking in” perspective that creates effective messages. I also cover this in “Try This Simple Trick to Double Your Sales.”

To summarize, the answer to “Why would I buy what you’re selling?” always a description how what they’re buying will help them achieve their goals. Similarly, the answer to “Why should I buy it from you?” is always something that you can do for the customer that your competitor’s can’t.

Crafting and Honing the Message

Now that you understand the basic concept, it’s time to to craft and hone a sales message that really works.